UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis

The official Tapology discussion thread for the event!

Andrew just got him/her or itself banned to avoid paying up on that bet he made with me.
Has nothing to do with freedom of speech which is not really a thing on the internet in the first place.

Can't wait for this card 

* Edited at 10.10.2023, 10:04 PM ET *

Always hyped for a fight with Lewis. I mean odds are he's going to get taken down immediately but he's more than capable of recreating his legendary knockout of curtis blaydes. Just has to catch him as he's coming on that takedown. Easier said than done lol

Almeida vs. Lewis
Jailton Almeida, SUB, R1
Very worrying fight for almedia if Lewis can stuff the takedowns he can catch him for sure. However worrying for Lewis taking this fight on 2 weeks notice however I’ll never count Lewis out.

Fernandes vs. Diakiese
Kauê Fernandes, DEC
50/50 fight this fight will show us where Fernandez stands in the ufc

Love Petrosyan at slight pickem line, I see him putting a striking clinic on Viera who is so compromised in the striking range. Cody Brundage dropped him like 2-3 times in that first round and almost submitted him but we all know brundage doesnt have cardio past the first round. 

Almeida vs. Lewis
Jailton Almeida, SUB, R2
Lewis can always land that terrifying upercut that made Blaydes scream while unconscious but this is really a bad matchup for the old beast.

Does anyone believe that Abus is going to show up with more than a round of cardio against Borralho ? Cuz i don't. 
I am just not sure how Caio will finish a exausted Abus, TKO by ground and pound or submission ? 

Nah he probably just took this fight to get in good favor with the ufc. They love guys who take short notice fights. He probably wins round 1 and then dies shortly after 

* Edited at 10.13.2023, 8:16 AM ET *

Borralho vs. Magomedov
Caio Borralho, SUB, R2
If Caio can make it past the 1st round he should be able to put Abust away bc the Strickland fight showed his gas tank is nonexistent

Marcos vs. Hugo
Victor Hugo, SUB, R2
In looking at Victor's record, something has me confused..how does a heel hook get a KO/TKO win? The fight b4 his Contenders Series fight shows that. I just don't think I've ever seen KO/TKO and heel hook together, just very confused.

Bonfim vs. Dalby
Gabriel Bonfim, DEC
Tough test for Bonfim this fight will show us where his wrestling and cardio are at.

Nascimento vs. Mayes
Rodrigo Nascimento, SUB, R2
Interesting fight Mayes has the power and could definitely catch Nascimento coming in however this is a rematch and Mayes was out grappled last time

Vieira vs. Petrosyan
Armen Petrosyan, DEC
Petrosyan has excellent takedown defense, I believe he will stuff the takedowns and outstrike him 30-27

Bonfim vs. Pichel
Ismael Bonfim, TKO, R2
Pichel hasn’t been finished in 9 years and has great cardio however his age I can see being a problem as well as all the injuries he’s had over the years. Can see Ismael catching him in the clinch after a failed takedown

Borralho vs. Magomedov
Caio Borralho, SUB, R3
Interesting fight here Borralho striking is suspect and he has a chance to catch caio early however with abus’s suspect cardio I can borris out grappling him in a rough first round catching a sub late in the 3rd after Magomed gases

Petrino vs. Bukauskas
Modestas Bukauskas, DEC
Weird fight could see Petrino catching him early and rocking bulkash or I can see Modestss dominating Petrino chewing up the leg and stuffing the takedowns

Brener vs. Ribovics
Esteban Ribovics, DEC
Interesting fight here definitely fight of the night potential elvis pressure and lack of head movement could cost him in this fight however elvis has faced the tougher competition, both have excellent cardio I see neither guy grappling just a straight kickboxing fight where Ribovics power and counter striking will make the difference

Zaleski vs. Fakhretdinov
Rinat Fakhretdinov, DEC
30-27 Fakhretdinov will outstrike Eli and dominate the grappling 30-27 Top 15 next

Hill vs. Gomes
Denise Gomes, TKO, R1
Who knows hopefully Gomes wins

Conejo Ruiz vs. Moura
Eduarda Moura, DEC
Who knows whoever shows up to the fight and can impose there grappling will win

Alexander vs. Onama
David Onama, DEC
Either Obama catches him and subs him early or Alexander survives and dominates the 3rd can at least see Obama winning 2 rounds

Marcos vs. Hugo
Daniel Marcos, DEC
Let’s see how Marcos deals with short notice opponents

Gabriel Bonfim
Submission Round 1

Nicolas Dalby has developed a style that is predicated on being safe. He prefers to stay on the outside and dart in with classic martial art kicks on own his terms. When getting too close, he clinches up as a way to control for points, not to destroy his opponent. The counter to this style is too smother your opponent in the pocket so they can’t kick optimally - this just so happens to be what both Bonfim brothers do in all their fights anyways. Not to forget Dalby was knocked down 3 fights in a row (1st UFC run) & was legit dropped cold by Jesse Ronson, so Gabriel could put him out too as he hits so darn hard.  I think Dalby will be uncomfortable on the back foot & in the pocket for too long - I say he either gets dropped & subbed, or he initiates a clinch and pays the price and gets taken down & subbed. He was after all taken down by Tim Means & an aged Claudio Silva with ease

Ismael Bonfim
TKO Round 3

Even though BSD eventually got the RNC against him, he did manage to build back up to his feet & escape two TDs & successfully defend against many others. This gives me confidence his TDD/getups will suffice against Vinc. Pichel has nice mid combo stance switches & excellent footwork, but I feel the constant forward pressure, high in your face volume & advanced counter striking of Bonfim will be too much for the aged Pichel & will find a late round finish

Eduarda Moura
TKO Round 1

I’ve watched Montserrat go for that head & arm throw, wanting a scarf hold in multiple fights pre UFC, confirming that it was not just a game plan against Cheyanne but a main strategy of hers. This is too basic & it showed when Ruiz had no answer for the grappling of Amorim. Now she’s fighting a woman who is 6 inches taller, has a 6 inch reach advantage, is absolutely shredded strong at 115 lbs. & is effectively Jailton Almeida’s pupil? Rewatch her Contender Series fight & witness beautifully strategic top position advances, one after another. This woman will probably be the Jailton of the women’s SW division & I am excited to see her climb up the ladder

Almeida vs. Lewis
Jailton Almeida, SUB, R1
This is even easier for Almeida than before & I still had him winning. This is gonna go the same way as the Rozenstruik bout went & don't see Lewis even getting a hit in on him before he gets taken down and beaten up. I love Lewis, but I see this only going one way: Almeida has mount on Lewis' back & uses Gn'P to finish the fight while Lewis attempts to shell up and cover his head or Jailton gets a-hold of his neck while on Lewis' back and chokes him out the same way that he did to Rozenstruik. Almeida by 1st RD finish fo sho, via RNC on back mount.

Nascimento vs. Mayes
Rodrigo Nascimento, SUB, R2
Still see this going the same way from last time around.

Bonfim vs. Pichel
Ismael Bonfim, TKO, R2
Bonfim's loss against Saint-Denis ain't anything to look bad upon him for. Benoit is a beast. That being said, Bonfim is a star in of himself & Pichel is an old vet on his way out the door. That being said, I see Bonfim rocking Pichel, sending him to the canvas and the ref calling it due to Vinc looking completely out of it.

Borralho vs. Magomedov
Caio Borralho, TKO, R3
Abus has some great finishing potential and if this was someone else, maybe I'd choose him over them, but we really have got to take that last fight against Strickland into effect. He did great the first & Strickland has gone on to become the Middleweight champion of the world and all, but I DO NOT like Abus' gas tank in the slightest ; or will for that matter. Dude straight up just gave up and withered in a ball when things got tough. I see Borralho weathering that storm, wrestling him and his cardio to a minimum, and finishing Magomedov off by TKO due to Gn'P off of mount on his back. Underrated Banger right here! These boys are going to the deep waters so I wouldn't be surprised by a DEC win here either for Caio.

Petrino vs. Bukauskas
Vitor Petrino, TKO, R2
Petrino's win against Bellato has aged pretty well all things considered w/ his recent win in DWCS. With that being said, I believe that Modestas is definitely going to test Petrino more than anyone else has but still see him getting caught at some point and laid out.

Hill vs. Gomes
Angela Hill, DEC
Although Hill is a can at this point and has one of the worst records ever, no one can deny that she hasn't fought the who's who of WMMA. Her recent dubs against Ducote & Godinez have aged pretty decently too.

Conejo Ruiz vs. Moura
Eduarda Moura, SUB, R1
After Ruiz's last performance, I'm def gonna have to take Moura by a finish here. Although she was able to survive a bit longer than expected, she only delayed the inevitable and got ferociously beat up on the ground. For that I see Moura by 1st RD Sub via RNC when she has her back or TKO due to ground & pound.

Alexander vs. Onama
David Onama, SUB, R2
Def a finish incoming here for Onama. I'd like to bet more so on him getitng it done by KO, but see Alexander's vulnerability in his submission defense as a hole that Onama might exploit. So imma go with a diff pick than expected and take Onama by a slick guilly choke.

Fernandes vs. Diakiese
Kauê Fernandes, DEC
Diakiese lately has turned from one of the most interesting strikers to watch into a lay and pray wrestler and god I can't stand it. Anytime he gets a step up in competition it falls flat for him & only see Fernandes coming in as a highly touted prospect that's gonna take out the old vet. I like Fernandes' finishing potential but feel like considering that this is his first bout in the UFC that he'll be tested and it'll be brought into the judges hands.

Marcos vs. Hugo
Victor Hugo, DEC
Hugo's win on DWCS was impressive as hell and let's be real, Marcos didn't beat Grant last time around. He's tough, but that doesn't win fights alone. Hugo by DEC

Almeida vs. Lewis
Jailton Almeida, SUB, R1
Jailton will do exactly what he's done with every other fight. I don't think Lewis can stop him from taking him down and choking him out. I can see Lewis starting with a flying knee again even tho he said he he wouldn't do it since he got the KO.

Hill vs. Gomes
Denise Gomes, DEC
I like Angela bc she won't give up but this definitely isn't in her favor.

Almeida vs. Lewis
Jailton Almeida, SUB, R1
This should be an easy win for Almeida.

Bonfim vs. Dalby
Gabriel Bonfim, SUB, R1
Another quick submission win for Gabriel Bonfim.

Bonfim vs. Pichel
Ismael Bonfim, TKO, R1
This should be a quick knockout win for Ismael Bonfim.

Bonfim vs. Dalby
Gabriel Bonfim, SUB, R1
I’m so prepared for both bonfims to take over the ufc bonfim is gonna have a crazy hard time finishing dalby let alone like he has

Borralho vs. Magomedov
Caio Borralho, SUB, R3
Borralho deserves all the respect for taking on abus on late notice even a loss here makes me respect him so much more but nearing 31 ufc is gonna start pushing him through the rankings starting here

Brener vs. Ribovics
Esteban Ribovics, TKO, R2
I really don’t think brener’s cut will be healed in 3 months and 3 days but ribovics has a maaasssive take down defense problem that brener could easily abuse but I’m going with power over jitsu here due to breners cut

Almeida vs. Lewis
Jailton Almeida, SUB, R1
I'd love to see lewis win because when Derrick Lewis wins it's always crazy & violent but I can't pick against Almeida. His grappling is levels above these heavyweight brawlers

Bonfim vs. Dalby
Gabriel Bonfim, SUB, R1
I swear to God if dalby wins I'll legit punch a hole in my TV. Bonfims ju jitsu is top level & I like that he's not soy with his bjj. He creates chaos so his opponents make mistakes & once they do it's over. Bonfim is champ material

Nascimento vs. Mayes
Rodrigo Nascimento, SUB, R1
I honestly don't see much improvement from either fighter since there last fight 3 years ago that's why I'm going with the guy who already won

Vieira vs. Petrosyan
Armen Petrosyan, TKO, R3
Petrosyan is miles ahead on the feet & I don't think Vieira will be able to sub armen early & if he doesn't I don't think his wrestling or cardio will be good enough to keep getting takedowns or keep petrosyan down.

Bonfim vs. Pichel
Ismael Bonfim, DEC
Maybe pichel will have success wrestling Bonfim but I don't think it's good enough for him to beat bonfim who is the better striker

Borralho vs. Magomedov
Caio Borralho, SUB, R2
Complete mismatch. Can't pick a guy with 1 round cardio

Petrino vs. Bukauskas
Vitor Petrino, TKO, R3
I didn't like how close bukauskas made it with trash pauga his last fight. I like that petrios cardio for how explosive he is. Petrino is green but I like his heart for his lack of experience

Brener vs. Ribovics
Elves Brener, SUB, R3
Banger. Both dudes are absolute dawgs. But I think brener can push a little better pace & has better grappling. You also have to bring a gun with you to stop brener & I'm not ever sure thatd be enough

Zaleski vs. Fakhretdinov
Rinat Fakhretdinov, DEC
I like zaleski but I don't think his anti grappling will be good enough to stop Rinat

Hill vs. Gomes
Denise Gomes, TKO, R2
Maybe 75% of us will look like fools because hill has so much more experience than gomes but Itll be a mostly standup fight & I don't think gomes will have any respect for hills lack of power and just walk her down. Hill is 38 and took a lot of damage just 3 months ago

Conejo Ruiz vs. Moura
Eduarda Moura, TKO, R1
I do worry about mouras cardio if it makes it out of the first round. Ruiz is tough but ultimately she's trash and moura seems like a beast

Alexander vs. Onama
David Onama, TKO, R1
I just feel like Onama will murder this dude. Alexander is just a soy kickboxer

Fernandes vs. Diakiese
Kauê Fernandes, DEC
I haven't seen much tape on fernandes but I'll always fade diakiese. Dude has no heart

Marcos vs. Hugo
Daniel Marcos, DEC
Close fight but I'll go Marcos since Hugo took this on short notice

I really wanted to take Hugo over Marcos, but I can't do it. His resume is good and he looked great on the contender series, but for a guy who has fought at welterweight I can't imagine the cut to 135 is easy. With that being said, taking this fight on short notice and making that cut twice in one month scares me off of him.

Caio looked like dog**** against Muradov, Abus is probably the instinctive play I'll just lock in.